Initial review of DD Hammock

Not having too much experience using hammocks I did quite a bit of research before I made the decision to buy an expensive one. I already had a cheap 20$ hammock that worked but I needed one with a mosquito net. I happened upon some good reviews for DD hammocks so I decided to check them out.

Equipment Review- Minuteman Defense Kydex

These days, there are probably more than a hundred different sources for Kydex firearms accessories, from the little guy working out of his garage part time, to big operations with full time manufacturing. Most of the time you are paying a pretty similar price across the board no matter where you order from. So what makes one holster company better than another? Options? Lead time? Innovation?

Dragoon Solutions is proud to carry our handguns and magazines in Minuteman Defense holsters. When we were looking around for holsters, we were looking for a company that was local and that would work on meeting our specific needs. Minuteman Defense fit the bill exactly. Minuteman Defense is a small operation south of Kansas City, Missouri. Their prices are pretty close to what I consider industry standard, and they use thick kydex on all of their builds. The mounting system that Minuteman Defense uses allows for multiple options, such as their own belt loops, Blackhawk mounting systems, MALICE clips, and Blade Tech MOLLE and Tek Loks.

 Skyler, the owner, is always easy to reach and willing to take on new projects. When I decided I wanted a low ride panel for my holster to more easily clear my plate carrier, he was willing to give it a shot. I couldn't be happier.  The holster fit my Glock 17 perfectly, and the retention was easy to adjust using two bolts that "squeeze" the folded kydex together. I can easily loosen the holster up for competition shooting, or tighten it down a bit more for field training, while still leaving me with a smooth draw. 

Other items from Minuteman Defense that I have used are the magazine carriers. The AR mag carriers are a unique design. They are made to carry almost any AR magazine (We have tried USGI, PMAGs, and Troy BattleMags), with the bullets facing to the front or rear. The mag carriers can be stacked with either pistol magazine carriers or other rifle magazine carriers. The retention is easily adjustable in the same manner as the holster. The pistol mag carriers are very similar, but are made for each individual type of pistol magazine.

In the months that I have owned my equipment from Minuteman Defense, I have shot competitive pistol matches, done ruck marches, wilderness survival training, and field exercises with my HSGI Suregrip war belt, carrying my holster, two rifle magazines and two pistol magazines, all in Minuteman Defense Kydex. I have no complaints, whatsoever. Even with my considerable mass, rolling over my holster had no adverse effects. When my ruck would get caught on the magazine carriers as I offloaded it, the magazines and carriers held well, even with 50 plus pounds of gear catching on it. No matter how thick of vegetation I was rolling through, I never felt like my pistol would be unexpectedly leaving my side.

Mike's MDOW light bearing holster

The only issue I have had with any of the gear was with the magazine carrier, when I was being dragged backwards during a "man down" drill.  The way I was being dragged pushed the magazine down through the carrier. Even with that extra stress on the carrier though, it did not break, and shows no sign of abuse.

If you are looking for kydex equipment for concealed carry or tactical use, I strongly suggest you look into Minuteman Defense. Go to  www.minutemandefense.com, and let them know the Dragoons sent you.

AAR, S&S Training Solutions CCW Airsoft

   S&S Training Solutions is starting to be a big name in the Kansas City area. They have been doing tactical training since 2013, after the owner/operators identified the need for a more 360 degree training environment in Kansas City. I personally met both Cole and Parker in late 2013, after they approached Mike and I about teaming up for a class on wilderness survival class.   Their outlook on training is simple, but rare. Get as many people trained as possible. S&S offers classes ranging from basic pistol marksmanship to 24 hour tactical field exercises. The classes they offer range from 30 dollars to 120, which is a huge value given how in depth the training is, especially compared to other tactical training, which usually  prices itself out of a lot of people's range. 

The AR-15 and Preparedess

 

The AR is easy to set up for individual shooters

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Easy to use, low recoil, accurate, and reliable. These are all traits that make the M16/M4 variants successful in today's military. They are also great attributes to a general purpose rifle for the preparedness minded individual. Almost anyone can learn to shoot an AR well. With an adjustable length of pull due to the telescoping stock, they are great for smaller shooters. A base AR15 can be customized to fit any shooter and almost any mission, with little gunsmithing needed.

Continue reading after the jump.

On Firearms and Preparedness

 (Just some things that came to mind today while I was perusing the internet. We as prepared individuals have a tendency to get way to worked up on the gear, as opposed to skills. Gear only helps us accomplish a mission.-Kyle)

One of the first things many people look at when they start to become prepared is firearms. Firearms are a “fun” part of preparedness, especially if you are a gun person already (we are!). On the preparedness forums we frequent, the firearms section is easily one of the busiest sub-forums. People will endlessly debate what rifle is “the best” for a disaster scenario. There is nothing wrong with that debate, or people having different opinions on the matter. The problem (and this is a common theme in the preparedness and firearm worlds) is when people get too wrapped up in gear selection, instead of letting the mission dictate the gear.

                 

           You must decide why you need a firearm, and what you need it to do for you, before you can think about which firearm is best for your situation.  Let the mission, or what you want to accomplish, drive your selection of equipment. If you do it the other way around, it’s quite likely you will end up trying to adjust your preparedness plans to fit a specific firearm. If you plan on increasing your level of everyday preparedness, you may be looking at a handgun for concealed carry. If you are worried about home invasion, you may be looking at a rifle or shotgun, depending on your preference (and a lot of other factors, but that’s a different post entirely). Finally, if you are concerned about a Black Level (Click for the Dragoon Disaster Scale) event, where the grid is down and there will most likely not be any police to come when you call, you might be looking at a fighting rifle.

                 

           Remember, you can’t eat bullets. On the other side of that, all the stored food in the world does you no good if you can’t defend yourself and your supplies. Preparedness, like most other things in life, is all about balance. Only two sorts of people think that all they need to survive is a weapon and plenty of ammo. One group is made up of those that are simply uninformed, and their idea of survival comes from zombie movies. The others are like this guy (Link thanks to the Organic Prepper), and think they don’t need supplies because, with their firearms, they will simply take yours. Do yourself a favor, and don’t be like those people. If your only plan is to take from others by force, it won’t end well, I promise you. 

Kyle

DSPS

18FEB2014

Are essential oils an essential part of your kit?

It wasn't long ago that I was completely unaware that essential oils existed. I first learned about them from one of the nurse practitioners (we will just call him Doc) that I work with, and to be honest, I thought that it was a bunch of new age, hippie voodoo at first. I mean, what could be better then our well-educated doctors? Some time later, I wound up with an aggressive cold and Doc suggested that I take some Oregano oil. Nothing else was working so I gave it a shot. Within a few days my cold had significantly diminished. I should have been sold then, but I'm a skeptic!

Being slightly interested but still skeptical, I started looking into Young Living, which was the brand of oils that Doc insisted that I get. Gary Young is the founder of this company, so I started with him. At the surface I didn't like what I was reading. There were a lot of articles about him being a fake and even some about legal issues he had been having. Now, I trust Doc and value his opinion, so I dug deeper. I started learning that the legal issues that Mr. Young had never amounted to anything and that there were some universities and hospitals that recently incorporated his brand of oils into some of their treatments.

Looking a bit further I found that there are many other companies out there that make essential oils, so what made Young Living so special and why had Doc insisted that I go with them? Well, with some more digging I found out that these other companies use synthetic products in their "essential oils". This is a problem because, with the exception of smelling good, the oils are useless.

ESEE/ RAT Advanced Escape and Evasion Kit

If you frequently go to the wilderness, as a hunter, backpacker, or bushcrafter, you need to have a last ditch survival kit. Prepared individuals build small kits and call them PSK's, or personal survival kits. They are the last line of survival, if everything has gone wrong, and all your other gear has been lost, stolen, or destroyed. They are small enough to strap to your belt, or carry in a pocket, so that they are always on you. As a Special Forces medic once told me, "If it isn't strapped to you when everything goes sideways, you don't own it."

Generally here at Dragoon Solutions we advocate building your own survival kits. Usually that allows you to put together a kit that fits your needs specifically, without wasting money on something that you don't want or need. However, we have found a kit that meets a need, and leaves you with plenty of room for customization.

Randall's Adventure and Training/ ESEE Knives has been building no-nonsense survival gear and knives since 1997. Their equipment has been used in combat zones and law enforcement operations all over the world by warfighters and counter-narcotic special operations teams, and by every day men and women who know the importance of solid blades and survival equipment. If you have read much on this blog, you may have noticed we are big fans of ESEE knives. Recently, through a contest of theirs, we have come into possession of their Advanced Pocket Survival/ EE Kit. Read on to see our initial thoughts on this ready made Personal Survival Kit